Coin-controlled clock and savings-bank.



I: m w

J. GRANZ.

com CONTROLLED CLOCK AND SAVINGS BANK.

Patented Aug. 3, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET APPLICATION FILED FEB. 20, I914. 1,149,130.

INVENTOR.

m m m T A WITNESSES: I

J. GRANZ.

COIN CONTROLLED CLOCK AND SAVINGS BANK.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 20, I914.

1 1 49, 1 30. Patented Aug. 3, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- I Y o l I ,3 D

I' l" I R INVENTOR.

WITNESSES L424, 75mm. A TTORNE YS.

'- the rear side of the front wall structure,

JOSEPH GRANZ, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

COIN-CONTROLLED CLOCK AND SAVINGS-BANK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 3, 1915..

Application filed February 20, 1914. Serial No. 819,874.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOSEPH GRANZ, a subject of the Emperor of Austria-Hungary, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coin-Controlled Clocks and Savings-Banks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to coin-controlled clocks and savings banks and contemplates several features of improvement.

My invention relates to coin-controlled clocks and savings banks and contemplates application Serial No. 795,284, filed October 15, 1913, in which the escapement of spring driven clock mechanism is controlled by the presence or absence of coins in a coin chute, and the coin receptacle is automatically controlled by the clock mechanism to open only after a certain number of coins. have been received.

Among the important objects are to provide improved escapement mechanism which will prevent worn coins from slipping past directly into the coin receptacle without first performing the function or unlocking the clock escapement for a certain length of time; to provide improved means for locking the coin receptacle for a predetermined length of time and for automatically unlocking and ejecting the receptacle after such time period; to provide detent mechanism for preventing withdrawal of a coin through the coin entrance slot after the coin has been inserted.

The various features of the improvement are clearly illustrated on the accompanying drawings in Which Figure 1 is a front elevational View of the clock structure, Fig. 2 is a view looking at the right end ofthe structure, the end wall being removed and the base structure and receptacle being in section, Fig. 3 is a front elevational view with the top, side and front inclosing walls removed, and the base in longitudinal vertical section, Fig. 4 is a view of showing the coin'chute and coin escapement mechanism secured thereto, Fig. 5 is a front elevational view of the coin chute, and Fig. 6 is a top view of the escapement end of the coin chute.

The device shown comprises a hollow base structure 10 on which is-mounted the clock 1 l l mechanism supporting structure comprising front and rear walls 11 and 12, the end walls 13 and 14 and the top 15, the walls being secured to the upper and lower flanges 16 and 11 extending from the top and base respectively. The clock movement M may be of any standard construction and is preferably spr ng controlled, the spring a being designed for any capacity, preferably eight days. The clock movement is secured to the rear wall in'any suitable manner, the wind ing and setting mechanism W being at the outside of the wall and the dial d extending into the circular shell 18 mounted in the front wall 11.

Describing now the arrangement for controlling the running of the clock by coins,-a chute 19 is secured against the inner face of the front wall 11, the vertical part of the chute extending along one edge of the front wall and thedownwardly deflecting lower part of the chute terminating at the lower end of, the opposite edge of the wall. The chute has in its upper end the lateral coin inlet passageway 19 and at its lower end has the outlet 19 which registers with the slot 20 provided in the top wall of the base 10. In the side wall 14 is provided a coin slot 21 which registers with the inlet 19 to the chute. Extending from the rear face of the chute adjacent the escapement mechanism balance wheel c of the clock movement is the bearing lug 22 in which is journaled the bell crank lever 23 whose upper arm 23' extends toward the balance wheel 6 and whose lower arm 23 extends in the coin chute along the top thereof to be in the path of coins passing down the inclined section of the chute. This lever is so adjusted that when a coin or coins are in the chute the arm 23 will be engaged by the tops of the coins and the lever swung to carry its other arm 23 away from the balance wheel of the clock movement in order that the clock may run, and when there are no coins in the chute the arm 28 will by its weight swing the lever to press its arm 23? against the escapement'wheel to stop and to prevent the clock movement from running.

Adjacent the outlet end of the chute ll 105- provide improved escapement mechanism which is controlled by the clock movement to in turn control the escape of one coin from the chute after a certain period of opa eration of the clock. This escapement mechanism comprises a horizontally extending plate 24: mounted on a vertical pivot rod 25 which is journaled in bearing extensions 26 and 27 which may be stamped from the metal of the coin chute, the upper end 25 of this rod being crank shaped and extended into the path of pins 28 and 29 extending at diametrically opposite points from the hub 30 of the gear wheel 31. The hub 30is secured to the shaft 32 journaled in the front and rear walls 11 and 12 of the clock inclosing frame, and the gear .31 meshes with the gear 33 forming part of the clock train. As clearly shown a spring 34 connects' with the arm 25 and with an extension 35 from the chute and tends to swing the pivot rod and late 24 in counter clockwise direction, whileithe pins 28 and 29 by engaging with the arm 25' tend to swing the plate in clockwise direction, this be ng clearly shown in Fig.'6.' With the two pins the plate will be rocked against the force of the spring 34 twice for each revolution of the gear 31. The plate 24 serves to operate detent members for controlling the escape of coins from the chute. As shown, these escapement members are in the form of leaf springs 36 and 37. In front of the outer and inner ends of the plate 24 the chute wall has openings 38 and 39. The outer end of spring 36 is looped forwardly in register with the opening 38 to form a detent end 40, the extreme outer end of the spring being bent inwardly to form a lifting flange 41 above the outer end of the plate 24. The spring 37 is looped forwardly at its outer end in register with the opening 39 to form a detent end'or projection 42, the extreme end of the spring extending laterally outwardly to form a lifting flange 43 above the inner end of the plate 24. The springs 36 and 37 tend to insert their detent ends 40 and 42 through the holes 38 and 39 into the path of coins in the chute and the arrangement of the plate 24 with reference to the lifting flan es 41 and 43 of the springs is such that w%1en the plate is in substantially neutral position, i. 6., parallel with the chute, both springs will be released and their detent ends project into the chute. When the plate is swung clockwise from such normal position upon engagement of arm 25 by one of the pins 28, 29, the spring 36 will be swung rearwardly to withdraw its detent end 40 from the chute, and when the plate is swung in counter clockwise direction by the spring 34 after release of the lever 25 from the pin, the spring 36 will be released and its detent end again projected into the chute while the spring 37 will be swung rearwardly and its end withdrawn from the chute. Uponwithdrawal of spring 36 any coin previously detained by detent end 40 will be released and will drop through the chute outlet 19". Upon withdrawal of spring 37 any coin previously detained by detent end 42 will be released but will be again detained when it reaches the detent'end 40 which is projected into the chute during withdrawal of s ,ring 37. Fig. 5 shows the lever 25 en age by pin 28 and the plate 24 swung cloo wise to release the spring 37 which projects its end42 into the chute to detain the coin c. I Fig.4 shows the same arrangement and shows also the coin 0 about to escape from the chute after release thereof from detent end 40 which is withdrawn by the engagement of the plate 24 with the spring 36. It will again be noted that when the plate 24 is in mid-way A or neutral position both escapetnent springs.

will be inert and their detent ends will project into thechute: Therefore when the plate is swung from one extreme position to another the corresponding sprin will not be caused to move to draw its etent end from the chute until the other sprin has been allowed to project its detent en into the chute. For example, referring to Fig. 5, upon release of the arm 25 from the pin 29 the plate 24 will be swung counterclockwise by the spring '34 and the spring 36 is released, but spring 37 is not engaged by a the plate until the s ring 36 has been lowed to project its etent end 40 into the chute. After this has happened the plate will cooperate with spring 37 and detent end 42 will be withdrawn to release the coin 0. Therefore, no matter how worn and thin the coin 0 may be, there is no chance for it to slip past the detent end 40 and esca from the chute without first serving to hold up the clock movement controlling lever 23 for a predetermined length of time. If while the coin c is held by the detent end 40 another coin was slipped into the chute it will roll against the coin c and then when one of the pins 28, 29 becomes effective and the detent 40 on spring 36 will not be withdrawn to release the coin 0 until the spring 37 has been released and its detent 42 rojected into the chute in front of the added coin, and this added coin is then confined in the chute a predetermined length of time in order that it will hold the lever 23 to release the escapement wheel of the clock movement.

The adjustment and arrangementare preferably such that each coin is inserted in the chute to insure a days run of the clock. In the particular construction shown the gearing ratio is such that the gear 31 will rotate once in forty-eight hours, and two pin being provided on the hub 30 the plate 24 will operate once in everytwenty-four hours to release a coin. As shown, the front wall M will'be' and the clock escapement wheel e-released, but as soon as there are no eoinsinlthe-chute thelever 23 will be re flgear meshing with a eased andgth'ga clock movement stopped. In

order chute back :through .the inlet slot 21, a deto pre vje'n't'f'removal of coins from the tent spring 47 is provided whose end projects into the chute through an opening 48, coins readily deflecting the spring on their way downwardly in the chute but being prevented by the'p'rojecting endzof the spring from being returned I ma coin is re leased from the chute .itfalls through. slot 20 in the 'basestriicture 210 and into a receptacle or draw through opening 50 in-thef -re' l io'f'the base. Improved means 'are ipro dedf'or preventing opening or removalofthe coin receptacle until after the clock has run" for a predetermined length of time and a certain amount of money has has. been made to pivots a the gear 55 rotatable on pin 56, the gear 55 meshing with the pinion 57 on the shaft 32 which carries the gear 31. On the pin 51 in front of the gear 53 is the hub 58 carrying the cam disk 59 having one or more cam teeth 59. A pin- 60 projects rearwardly from the cam disk and between two of the spokes 53' of the gear 53, the gear carrying the cam disk with the pin 60. Secured to and extending forwardly from the inner Wall of the drawer 49 is a latch spring 61 whose front end 61 deflects downwardly through a slot 62 in the shelf 63 extending across the front ends of the'side walls of the drawer in rear of the front wall 64: of the drawer and normally the spring is above the drawer opening to abut-against the edge 50 to prevent pulling out of the drawer. However, when the cam disk-has been-rotated to bring a cam tooth into. engagement with the spring, such spring is depressed'to bring its outer end i as for example sixty days,

ibelow'theedge and into register with opening 50, the

"withdrawn.--,Breferably a spring 65 is pro vided for forcingthe drawer out When thus ,lsuchspring being shown secured drawer'being then free to be unlocked to the frontwall'of the base 10. The-gearing relations are such that the drawer will be unlocked only after apredetermined period of continuous damning of the clock, it then requiring a passage of sixty coins through the chute and into the drawer before the drawer is unlocked. The cam disk being loose on shaft it may be rotated relative to the gear 53. The gear 53 travels very slowly and it will take sometime for a cam tooth to pass over with the edge 50 then again be ae the precise *c'onstructio'n',; arrangement and operation .shown and. described --as changes it when one spoke reaches.

thereof and removal of the oontentstherenoted that the inner. end of 61 is lower than the outer from. It will be the latch spring end. When the drawer is to-be Ire-inserted the outer portion of the spring. will engage and the spring will be depressed, but as soon as the drawer has been fully inserted the spring will be released from the edge and will return to its normal position into engagement with the circular part of the cam disk and the drawer will locked. The cam disk will then of course remain stationary until the spoke of the gear wheel 53 will catch up with the pin 60, and after the end of a predeterminedlapse of time the cam tooth will again reach and depress the spring and the drawer will be released and 'forcedfout curse desire "to" be limited to and modifications are'jno-idoubt possible which would still come-within the scope of the invention, and 1 I claim the following:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination of a clock movement, a coin chute having a detent inlet, a detent spring bentat its end to form a detent extension and a rojection, said spring tending to project in the detent extension through the inlet into the path of coins in the chute,-an actuating member, means controlled by the clock movement for operating said actuating member at predetermined intervals to engage with said projection to effect withdrawal of the detent extension from the chute and the path of coins therein and brake mechanism for said clock movement released therefrom by a coin in said chute.

2. In a device of the class described, the

combination of a clock movement, a coin through v the corresponding inletinto the path of coins in the chute,-an outer lateral "extension on each spring, a plate pivoted between said outer GXtGIISIOIISQmGSLDS controlled by the clock movement for effecting swing of the plate to alternately and at predetermined intervals coiiperate with the extension to effect withdrawal of the corresponding detent end from the chute and brake mechanism for saidclock movement released therefrom by a coin in said chute.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination of a clock movement, a coin chute having two escapement inlets, a

' between spring associated with each inlet and having its end bent inwardly to form a detent for extending through the chute into the path of coins and having a lateral exten-.

sion, said extensions projecting toward each other, a plate pivoted between said extensions to swing alternately into engagement said clock movement released therefrom by a coin in said chute.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination of a clock movement, a coin chute having a detent inlet, a spring having a detent end adapted to be projected by the spring through said inlet into the path of c oins in the chute, said spring having a lateral extension, a plate pivoted adjacent said extension, a lever extending from said plate into the path of the clock movement and a spring tending to resist swing of the plate and to restore it to normal position, said clock movement and spring cooperating to control the swing of said plate against and away from said extension to alternately withdraw the detent from the chute and to allow it to reenter the chute whereby the escape of coins through the chute is controlled and brake mechanism for said clock movement released therefrom by a coin in said chute.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 18th day of February, A. D., 1914. m

' JOSEPH GRANZ.

WVitnesses:

SADIE M. RYAN, I CHARLES J. SCHMIDT. 

